Machine for finishing flooring



July 2, 1929. c, DITTMAR 1,719,001

I MACHINE FOR FINISHING FLOORING Filed Sept. 14, 1921 v 5 sheets-sheet 1 GHQ: we q y 2, 1929- E. c. DITTMAR 1.719.001

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FLOQRING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14,1921

July 2, 1929. E. c. DITTMAR 1.719.901

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FLOORING Filed Sept. 14, 1921 3 Sheet -Sheet 3 m Q an; I. l'lllfiii l W 'V a! I i zg/ mum/MW Patented July 2 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,719,001 PATENT oFFIcE.

ELMER c. nmuen; or wILLrAMsronr, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR roman onoiaata COMPANY, or WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, A conrona'rxon or PENNSYL- VANIA.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FLOORING.

Application filed September This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for tinishing flooring and more particularly to means for applying a coating of waxto the finished strip of flooring and a coating of waterproofing compound to the unfinished face of the strip, the object being to provide a machine which is so constructed that a strip of flooring can be set in motion and while in motion the opposite faces of the strip can be coated so as to polish one face and apply a coating of preservative to the other face.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine in which a block of solid was is fed against a rotaryapplying device sothat when said device passes over the finished face of the strip of lumber to be waned, the wax will be applied and rubbed in at the same time.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide a machine which is exceedingly simple and chea i in construction and one in which wax is fed automatically to the applying hrush in such a manner that the proper amount of wax will be applied at all times so as to wax the varnished face of the strip in itspassage therethrough.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide novel means for applying oil or preservative liquid to the-unfinished face of the stripso that the entire surface of the strip will be protected against moisture.

@ther and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forthand the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

in the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention Figure 2 is a top plan with the cover of the waning device removed;

Figure 3 is a detail section through the waning device showing the automatic means for driving the same;

Figure 1 is a detail section showing the manner of mounting the rotary members to allow the same to be adjusted in respect to the "face of the strip in itsxpassage through the machine; and

Figure is a detail section through the fountain brush used for applying the oil to the unfinished surface of the strip.

14,1921. Serial No. 500,661.

In the drawings 1 indicates a frame provided with standards 2 supporting the guide way 3 which is provided with a feeding throat 4 in which the strip to be finished is forced. The strip is adapted to be continuously moved through the guide way 3 by any suitable feeding mechanism and I have shown a pair offeed rollers 5 for this purpose, but it is, of course, understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the use of feed rollers as I am aware that other feeding mechanism can be employed, such as a chain-feeding device, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The top of the frame is provided with suitable guide ways 6, 7 and 8 in which are slidably mounted movable supports 9, and 11 which are operated by screws 9, 10 and 11 so that the supports can be adjusted into any position desired for the purpose hereinafter fully described. Mounted on the connecting members forming the guide way is a housing 12 provided with slots'in its bottom through which extends shafts 13 and 14: which are mounted in the movable supports 9 and 10 and are provided with beveled gears at their lower end.

In F igure l l have shown a detailed section. illustrating the manner of driving the shafts 13 and ld-and as the constructions employed for driving both shafts are iden-.

tical, the descriptionof one will be sufficient for both. The shaft 14 carries a beveled gear 15 which meshes with a beveled gear 16 feathered on a driving shaft 17 which is driven from any suitable drive shaft ofthe machine and the particular manner of driving this shaft is immaterial.

, The beveled gear 16 is provided with a v collar 18 which is embraced by a forked arm 19 carried by a bearing 20 fixed on the movable support 11 so that as the movable support 11 is adjusted Within its guide way, the beveled gears 15 and 16 will be held in mesh. As the movable support travelsv in its guide way, the beveled gear 16 slides on its shaft so as to hold the gears in mesh. The housing 12 is provided with a division plate 21 and mounted on the shaft 13 is a brush 22 and mounted on the shaft 14 is a brush ment of the material passing through the machine while the brush 23 rotates in the direction of the movement of the materia passing through the machine.

i In the drawing I have shown the brushes .22 and 23 formed with bristles and I have found that very good results can be obtained by using rotating brushes employing bristles and I have also found that devices of this Extending dlagonally from the housing 12 is a trough 24 in which is adapted to be placed a cake of wax 25 which is engaged by the follower 26 having a pivoted member 27 mounted on the outer end thereof provided with a notch 28 adapted to receive one'of the.

squared ends of a feed screw 30.

The feed screw passes through the threaded bore of a hub 31 of a worm gear 32 which meshes with a worm 33 mounted on a shaft 34 arranged at right angles to the feed screw. The shaft 34 carries a worm gear 35 which meshes with a worm 36 carried by a vertical shaft 37 provided with a gear 38 adapted to mesh with the gear of one of the driven shafts of the machine and through the medium of the worms and worm gear, the speed is reduced so that the screw travels slowly in order to force the wax against the edge of the brush so that the brush will apply the same to the surface of the strip.

As the shaft carrying the brush is adjustably mounted, the brush can be adjusted in respect to the face of the strip so that proper tension will be obtained in order to apply the wax thoroughly.

The hub 31 is carried by a removable member 39 held in position by pivoted locking member 40 and by swinging the locking member out of the path of .the movable member 39, the -movable member can be raised vertically as to remove the worm 32 and the feed screw.

By forming the feed screw with squared ends as shown at 29, after the screw has reached its limit of travel, the member 39 is raised verticall out of its support, it of course being an erstood that the pivoted member 28 is swung upward into vertical position and off the squared end, The member is then reversed and placed back into can be placed therein in order to feed the same against the brush. This prevents the turnin back. of the screw when inserting new ca es of wax and provides a construction which is very simple.

The trough 24 and housing 12 are closed by a cover 41 andthe movable member 9 slides in a guide way42 formed in the support 43 as clearly shown in Figure 1.

As the strip of material is fed through the machine by the feeding mechanism, the

- direction which removes any surplus of wax and pollshes the surface so that when the strip leaves the machine its face is waxed and polished.

In using a machine of this kind I have found that in different seasons of the year itmay be necessary to employ threads of different sizes for the feed thread so that in hot weather a slower feed can be obtained than in cold weather and therefore I do not wish to limit In self to the particular construction of feeding mechanism herein shown and described as my invention consists in automatically feeding a cake of wax to the edge of a brush through the medium of gears so that the proper amount of wax will be fed to the brush at all times to avoid applying too heavy a coating to the surface being waxed.

In the drawing I have shown a burnishing'device 44 mounted on the movable support 11 composed of a coil spring having a series of glass burnishers disposed between the convolutions of the spring for burnishing the varnished surface of the strip before it reaches the waxing brush, the particular construction of burnlshing device being shown and described in a companion application filed September 14, 1921, Serial No. 500,659.

In order to produce a prefinished flooring so that the same can be prefinished in the factory and shipped to the purchaser in conditionto be laid without further treatment, I have found that it is necessary to coat the entire surface of a strip and in order to accomplish this result I arrange a fountain brush 45 opposite the polishing brush 22, which brush is composed of a nozzle having a pad 46 disposed therein which pad can be formed of any suitable material, such .as felt, bristles, leather, fiber or other material of similar nature. The brush is provided with an opening 47 from which leads a pipe 48 having an upturned portion terminating in a hopper 49, into which is adapted to be fed a waterproofing composition from tank 50 herein shown'provided with a valve controlled spout 51 controlling the supply of fluid delivered to the receiving hopper.

In the machine now in use I employ an oil for a waterproofing compound and in use the tank is filled with oil and the valve 51 adjusted so that the proper amount of oil will pass from the. tank into the receiving hopper from which it is fed by gravity into the fountain brush, which is provided wit-h a. handle 52 adjustably mounted in a support 53 so that the same. can be adjusted in respect to the unfinished face of the strip.

The brush is adjusted so that the pad is in contact with the unfinished side of the strip of flooring and as the strip passes the fountain brush oil is applied to the face thereof and I have also found that in devices r of this kind in use there is a certain amount of leakage which allows the oil to run over the edges of the strip so'that the entire unfinished surface of the strip will. be coated with oil to prevent the strip from absorbing moisture in shipment.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that l have provided a machine havin a guide way in which a strip is propelled past a wax applying brush and then a polishing brush so that the varnished face of the strip is waxed and polished and as the strip moves in the guide way, it passes the fountain brush so that the coating of oil is applied to the opposite faces thereof. The strip is then delivered from the opposite end of the machine and after drying is ready for shipment.

ll am aware that. l have shown certain details of construction that are not essential in carrying out my invention and I do not wish to limit myself to these details as my invention consists in providing means for continuously moving and guiding a strip in a defined path past a pair of brushes and a fountain brush in connection with means for supplying the fountain brush with oil and one of the rotary brushes with war: so that one surface of the strip will be waxed and polished and the other coated.

While in the specification l have described the operation of the oiler and WttXGl as a joint operation it am aware that either one can be used separately without the other so as to apply either a coating of wax or a coating of oil to the face of a strip of lumber and therefore ll do not wish to limit myself to the use of the machine for finishing a previously varnished strip of lumber as the same can be used for applying a coat of wax to a strip of lumber which has not been prefinished without departing from the spirit of my invention.

ll hat ll claim is l. The combination with an apparatus having means for moving and guiding a series of strips of previously varnished lumber with their ends in engagement with one another, of a rotary wax applying device adjustably mounted in respect to the varnished face of the strips in their passage therethrough, a trough for holding a block of wax, means for continuously feeding said Wax against the rotary applying deviceyand a polishing brush arranged in advance of said wax applying brush adapted to engage the Waxed face of said strips in their passage thercthrough, said last mentioned brush rotating in the direction opposite to the movement of the strips for polishing the Wax applied.

2. A machine for applying wax to strips of previously varnished lumber having means for continuously moving and guiding a series of strips of lumber with their ends in engagement witlrone another, a rotary brush adjustably mounted in respect to the moving strips of lumber and adapted to rotate in the direction of movement of said strips in their passage therethrough, means for feeding wax to said brush and a polishing brush rotating in the opposite direction to the movement of said strips arranged to engage the face of said strips for polishing the wax applied.

3. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a wax tray having a. follower mounted therein provided with a socket, of a cap member provided with a worm wheel having a threaded bore, a feed screw working in the threaded bore of said worm wheel having a square end adapted to extend into the socket of said follower, said cap member being detachably mounted to allow the screw to be reversed after it has reached its limit.

4. ln a machine of the kind described, the combination with a war trayhaving a follower movably mounted therein provided with a movably mounted socket, of a continuously rotating shaft having a worm fixed thereon, a detachable cap member carrying a worm wheel meshing with. said worm, said worm wheel having a hub provided with a threaded bore and a feed screw working in said threaded bore having squared ends adapted to fit within the movable socket; of said follower for moving said follower in said tray. tin An apparatus having a guide way for supporting and guiding a strip of lumber on edge, means for propelling said strip in said guide way, a brush rotating in the direction of travel of said strip arranged to engage one face thereof, a brush rotating in a reverse direction to the path of travel of said strip arranged to engage the face of said strip, means for supplying the first mentioned brush with war. and means for coating the opposite face of said strip in its passage through said machine.

- 6. An apparatus having means for guiding and continuously moving a previously varnished strip of lumber on edge in its passage therethrough, a rotary brush arranged to engage the varnishedface of said ice strip for applying wax thereto, said brush rotating in the direction of travel of said strip, a polishing brush rotating in' the 0 posite direction to the movement of the strip 5 for polishing the waxed face of mid strip and independent means for adjusting said brushes. a

7. An apparatus having means for continuously moving and guiding a strip of lum- 10 her in a defined path, a series of burnishers signature.

ELMER C. DITTMAR. 

